If you suspect you have gynecomastia, or you have recently been confirmed with the condition here are ten facts about the condition you need to know.
1.
Gynecomastia is caused by the overdevelopment of breast tissue in men, often caused by an overabundance of female hormones in the bloodstream during puberty.
2.
You're not alone - many thousands of men all over America suffer from man breasts, often referred to as man boobs.
It's actually quite a common problem, with varying degrees of severity from barely noticeable, to quite obvious development.
3.
Drugs used to treat various medical conditions can also cause breast tissue to form.
Talk to your doctor for more information on gynecomastia brought about by drug side effects.
If you are on any prescription medication it is important you continue with your medicine.
But do discuss with your doctor if there is a chance your medication is contributing, or causing your gynecomastia.
4.
If you have a history of past recreational drug use, especially pot, researchers have found there is a direct connection between this and the development of man breasts.
5.
Another common way of developing gynecomastia is previous use of anabolic steroids.
What can happen when using steroids is that the excess testosterone is converted to estrogen in the body, which then causes the development of breast tissue.
6.
There are a number of different types of gynecomastia that might require treatment, including pure glandular, unilateral, puffy nipples, pseudo-gynecomastia and adult onset gynecomastia.
Treatment approaches vary depending on the type.
7.
If your gynecomastia is mild, it can be treated with liposuction.
In more severe cases it can be advisable to have a modified breast reduction performed, in which glandular tissue is removed as well as liposuction to remove the fat.
8.
While gynecomastia is not harmful, it can of course be debilitating psychologically.
The embarrassment and sometimes even shame brought upon a sufferer of the condition can make life hard.
9.
There are various types of liposuction that can help.
Newer liposuction methods give a better result with hardly any scarring.
The most popular gynecomastia treatment today is probably Vaser lipo, the most up to date of the liposuction methods.
Vaser uses ultrasound to break up the objectionable pockets of fat, prior to their being suctioned out.
10.
Gynecomastia surgery is a specialized form of cosmetic surgery - so make sure you find the most experienced cosmetic surgeon who had completed plenty of these procedures.
You need to discuss fully with your chosen cosmetic surgeon what your gynecomastia treatment options are before embarking on any course of treatment.